Update includes camera and lock screen enhancements, a better keyboard, and more.

Verizon Wireless finally pushed out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy SIII users this week. It brings with it a variety of long-awaited Android features, including Google Now, voice search within Maps, and other nifty little touches like camera filters and contextual menus. Samsung has also bundled its premium suite of features with the update to include things like enhancements to the S-Voice personal assistant, as well as a major overhaul to the keyboard input. Verizon Wireless users will also be able to add international roaming to their plans so they can use the phone overseas. Finally, upgraded users in Salt Lake City and Austin will be able to access ISIS wallet (unfortunately, we were not able to try it out in this screenshot tour).

We’ve been waiting for this update for some time now, and although Android 4.2 Jelly Bean was recently released to various Nexus handsets and devices, any software update is better than no update at all. Let’s take a look at several of the Galaxy SIII’s new features.

Google Now and S-Voice

Galaxy SIII users now have access to Google Now, which can be engaged by holding down on the Home button for a few seconds and pressing the Google button, or by holding down the Menu button. Google Now displays pertinent information like driving times, flight information, upcoming meetings, and tracking information for shipments, and it’s all updated in real time.

Enlarge/ We just had to let Google Now know how excited we are to have her on our phone.

Samsung also pushed forth updates to its S-Voice application, a digital personal assistant which functions a lot like Apple’s Siri and Google Now. Its voice sounds sultrier than before, it can recognize more phrases and actions, and you can engage it from the lock screen with a voice command (more on that in a bit).

Enlarge/ Ask S-Voice a bunch of questions and she will reply, just like Apple's Siri.

Enlarge/ Ask S-Voice for directions to the nearest train stations, and she will promptly deliver.

Camera Improvements

With the Android 4.1 update, Samsung also packaged up a few “premium” features, like camera enhancements. The Camera app has new filters that can be overlaid in real-time and viewed through the Preview window, and it also comes with a low-light shot function. The app also sports a “best face” setting that attempts to capture the best moment in a scene where there’s a lot of movement.

Enlarge/ Select between a few new shooting options, like Smile shot or Low light.

Enlarge/ The camera comes with a helping of fancy new photo filters, a la Instagram.

Enlarge/ There's also a Share shot feature, which sends out a photo immediately to friends as soon as it's taken.

Keyboard

In addition to the standard Android 4.1 features, Samsung has also included a huge update to the Swype application, which comes natively with the Galaxy SIII. The keyboard looks much nicer than it previously did and typing is an easier endeavor. Beforehand, it used to feel like no matter the accuracy with which fingers touched the letters, it would require lots of editing before a message could go out. Now, the keyboard feels just as fluid as on stock Android. (I’m thankful that I can finally ditch the Jelly Bean keyboard plug-in I’ve been using all this time.)

Enlarge/ We couldn't be more thrilled about the keyboard update, which feels like stock but features the fluidity of Swype's one-finger type functionality.

Missing features

After comparing the screenshots in the video that Samsung released last week and the update that hit our own Galaxy SIII unit, we were surprised to find that the Multi-window functionality and Page Buddy did not exist in the Display options. There is no setting for customizing Notification panel, either.

As it turns out, these features are actually a part of Android 4.1.2, and the update that went out today is Android 4.1.1, so we won't be seeing these features until that particular update hits. You can check out Samsung's YouTube page for the videos where all the new Premium suite features are explained.

29 Reader Comments

I have a GS3 on Verizon and it is giving me no end of grief (it takes anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes after I hit the dial button to actually connect to the network and call).

I want to back it up, reset it, and start fresh (actually, I want to smash it against the wall while crying for my mother, but that is not possible for a whole host of reasons). If I wipe it clean after it downloads 4.1, will 4.1 still be on there? Or will it revert to the original 4.0.something that was on it when I purchased it?

After comparing the screenshots in the video that Samsung released last week and the update that hit our own Galaxy SIII unit, we were surprised to find that the Multi-window functionality and Page Buddy did not exist in the Display options. There is no setting for customizing Notification panel, either."

"Android 4.1.2 is slowly rolling out to those with the international 3G model, and the update features a premium suite of features that come standard with the Galaxy Note II.

It appears that Samsung has also published part one of its video series detailing the update which showcases those premium features. The suite includes multi-window functionality (enabling users to separate their screen into two windows to use two apps at once), "

I have a GS3 on Verizon and it is giving me no end of grief (it takes anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes after I hit the dial button to actually connect to the network and call).

I want to back it up, reset it, and start fresh (actually, I want to smash it against the wall while crying for my mother, but that is not possible for a whole host of reasons). If I wipe it clean after it downloads 4.1, will 4.1 still be on there? Or will it revert to the original 4.0.something that was on it when I purchased it?

If, by "wipe," you mean a factory reset then yes, the new version of the OS will still be on there afterward. If you use a tool that actually wipes the phone (you'd know if you were ) then it won't even boot afterward unless you install an OS.

I have a GS3 on Verizon and it is giving me no end of grief (it takes anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes after I hit the dial button to actually connect to the network and call).

I want to back it up, reset it, and start fresh (actually, I want to smash it against the wall while crying for my mother, but that is not possible for a whole host of reasons). If I wipe it clean after it downloads 4.1, will 4.1 still be on there? Or will it revert to the original 4.0.something that was on it when I purchased it?

If, by "wipe," you mean a factory reset then yes, the new version of the OS will still be on there afterward. If you use a tool that actually wipes the phone (you'd know if you were ) then it won't even boot afterward unless you install an OS.

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

Well its not like most people are Ars readers and thus are the kind of people who want to know gory details of how things work... they just want them to work. Just as most people don't want to know the gory details of a car and be a mechanic ... they just want to get in and drive.

In my case I got an S3 because it was the FIRST Android 4 phone any carrier in my small town offered... I didn't ever have a smart phone before... I was one of those people who just wants it to work well... all I knew was I wanted Android 4...

After comparing the screenshots in the video that Samsung released last week and the update that hit our own Galaxy SIII unit, we were surprised to find that the Multi-window functionality and Page Buddy did not exist in the Display options. There is no setting for customizing Notification panel, either."

"Android 4.1.2 is slowly rolling out to those with the international 3G model, and the update features a premium suite of features that come standard with the Galaxy Note II.

It appears that Samsung has also published part one of its video series detailing the update which showcases those premium features. The suite includes multi-window functionality (enabling users to separate their screen into two windows to use two apps at once), "

I'd love to get a Nexus, but coverage around me means I need to stay with Verizon, and considering how badly that relationship turned out last time for Google, I'm guessing they're not going to attempt it again.

So that means I have to pick something else, and my experience with my current HTC Thunderbolt makes me really not want to buy HTC. If Samsung can update their flagship within six months of release, that's not doing too bad, comparatively.

Does anyone know of a good aggregate chart of manufacturers and/or models and their update historical update times?

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

or, because the Nexus has limited RAM and a non-replaceable battery. The RAM, in particular, is a deal-breaker for me. I don't always have access to wi-fi. I don't even always have access to a cell signal. and yet, I might want to read stuff, listen to music, show people photos, or play games.

Is it sad that a carrier rolling out an Android update is such a newsworthy event? Yes, yes it is.

Not a knock on Florence. A knock on Big Red.

Something is wrong when Apple wants to launch their device on your network, but they go to AT&T instead because you're such control freaks that Apple doesn't want to deal with you. And let's not forget that Verizon is the only carrier to have their version of the S3 shipped with a locked bootloader, and even Samsung was basically saying "yeah, sorry, it's Verizon's fault."

I'm also reminded of the horror I had when I had to replace my Razr (the old flip phone, not the recent Android phone) due to water damage. The phone was fully capable of using Bluetooth to get files on and off the phone, but Verizon had crippled the Bluetooth for everything but headset functionality. So I had to get an SD card to get my pictures off the phone. Which was horrendous because of the way that the picture gallery would re-sort every time you transferred a picture to the SD card--it made for a maximum of scrolling through the list of pictures.

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

Because to be honest I do not give a damn about the new features with the exception of smoother refresh rate. The rest? Meeeh who cares. My keyboard is Swiftkey which wipes the floor with anything Google has come up with. The OS is nice, works fine and the applications are much more important anywhere. Everything else is just wanking over version numbers.

Still sad that I didn't get the Nexus4 but not because of the Nexus name but because its half the price of a S3.

In the end being able to upgrade immediately was hugely important while Android was still a fast changing unstable ugly mess ( 2.3) but since 4 its good looking, stable and has anything you need. They can keep Google Voice (or the other talk to your cellphone apps. All of them suck! Worst is the Samsung app which is totally useless.)

So until for example version 5 comes out and they significantly change the APIs and there are apps that do not run on my phone anymore I couldn't care less if its 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 or whatever.

(Not completely true waiting months for an update sucks a bit but its not the end of the world people on ars make it up to be)

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

or, because the Nexus has limited RAM and a non-replaceable battery. The RAM, in particular, is a deal-breaker for me. I don't always have access to wi-fi. I don't even always have access to a cell signal. and yet, I might want to read stuff, listen to music, show people photos, or play games.

You are talking about internal storage right?The proper term is ROM, and usually people call it flash or internal memory/storage. I agree. I was telling my uncle that its disappointing that Google didn't include a sd-card slot in the Nexus 4, and Google Drive may have been a reason why. Google is pushing its cloud services heavy, but people can have a sd-card slot and use the cloud too. I love the convenience of the cloud, but the reassurance that I can buy extra memory and not worrying about how much I am using is good too.

The GS3 has sd-card support and a removable battery. Say what you want about there design, but Samsung made a phone for power users. Just need stock android.

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

or, because the Nexus has limited RAM and a non-replaceable battery. The RAM, in particular, is a deal-breaker for me. I don't always have access to wi-fi. I don't even always have access to a cell signal. and yet, I might want to read stuff, listen to music, show people photos, or play games.

You are talking about internal storage right?The proper term is ROM, and usually people call it flash or internal memory/storage. I agree. I was telling my uncle that its disappointing that Google didn't include a sd-card slot in the Nexus 4, and Google Drive may have been a reason why. Google is pushing its cloud services heavy, but people can have a sd-card slot and use the cloud too. I love the convenience of the cloud, but the reassurance that I can buy extra memory and not worrying about how much I am using is good too.

The GS3 has sd-card support and a removable battery. Say what you want about there design, but Samsung made a phone for power users. Just need stock android.

The main reason that Google Drive etc. are not really viable solutions is bandwidth caps--also the fact that in a place like NYC Google Drive does you dick all when you want some music while you're on the subway.

Otherwise it seems like Samsung is pretty good about pushing updates out to its users. Include the locked bootloader nonsense and it really seems like Samsung wants to do right by its users, but Verizon is just being its usual cumguzzling self and dicking people over even on a flagship device.

People don't buy Nexus for any number of reasons. But when it comes to Nexus 4 in particular, several reasons stand out:

- No CDMA or LTE support. This means no Verizon and no Sprint. I'm not planning on switching carriers for a phone, especially when the carrier I'm on now (Verizon) has such a superior network. AT&T quite frankly sucks in every way compared to Verizon when it comes to coverage. Verizon will also have LTE over their entire 3G network footprint by mid-2013. That means 20-40 Mbps data speed EVERYWHERE you get a Verizon signal.

- Only 16 GB of storage and no microSD slot. Sorry, I use my phone as my music player. This alone disqualifies the N4, as I currently carry around 26 GB of music on my phone. Also, have fun trying to install any of those phone games which are >1 GB in size, like all the Gameloft titles. Install 2 games and you're out of space.

- Overheating issues. Numerous tests show that the N4 overheats quite badly and throttles itself when used in CPU or GPU intensive tasks.

- Poor battery life. I learned this lesson from my Verizon Galaxy Nexus. A smartphone which you can't actually use without killing the battery isn't much of a smartphone. GSM Arena recently tested N4 battery life and the results were awful: http://blog.gsmarena.com/google-nexus-4 ... axy-nexus/

- Android 4.2 is not very good. No, really. It's not. It has a ton of bugs, like the infamous missing month of December which was recently patched. Some of the stuff added, like the second Notifications shade with toggles, has been a part of TouchWiz since 2009 or so. The only actually good thing added to 4.2 was the side-loading malware scanner. Everything else is irrelevant, which is why I expect that Samsung will skip 4.2 updates on the Galaxy S III and Note II and go straight to Key Lime Pie when that drops.

The N4 isn't a great smartphone. I had a Galaxy Nexus and I decided to pass on this year's Nexus. Sure, it's comparatively super-cheap, but in this case you're really getting what you pay for. Instead I got a Note II and I love the thing to death. I've had it 3 weeks now and the honeymoon period still isn't over, I find myself using it constantly.

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

Well, I waited over a year to get rid of RIM after 4 years so 5 months between ICS and Jellybean is no big deal. I'm beyond satisfied with the performance ALONE of 4.1.1 over 4.0.4. So much so that new features are ancillary.

And Jellybean has long been available for the S3 so it's not like users with the time or means couldn't take it upon themselves to remove their devices from the restrictive grip of a carrier or Samsung.

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

Yes, I know, ignorance and telco subsidies. 'Twas a rhetorical question. I'm glad I got my wife a Nexus 7 instead of some other brand.

or, because the Nexus has limited RAM and a non-replaceable battery. The RAM, in particular, is a deal-breaker for me. I don't always have access to wi-fi. I don't even always have access to a cell signal. and yet, I might want to read stuff, listen to music, show people photos, or play games.

You are talking about internal storage right?The proper term is ROM, and usually people call it flash or internal memory/storage. I agree. I was telling my uncle that its disappointing that Google didn't include a sd-card slot in the Nexus 4, and Google Drive may have been a reason why. Google is pushing its cloud services heavy, but people can have a sd-card slot and use the cloud too. I love the convenience of the cloud, but the reassurance that I can buy extra memory and not worrying about how much I am using is good too.

The GS3 has sd-card support and a removable battery. Say what you want about there design, but Samsung made a phone for power users. Just need stock android.

The main reason that Google Drive etc. are not really viable solutions is bandwidth caps--also the fact that in a place like NYC Google Drive does you dick all when you want some music while you're on the subway.

Otherwise it seems like Samsung is pretty good about pushing updates out to its users. Include the locked bootloader nonsense and it really seems like Samsung wants to do right by its users, but Verizon is just being its usual cumguzzling self and dicking people over even on a flagship device.

Why did I buy an S3? Because I knew I was going to flash it with CyanogenMod shortly after getting it anyway. Of course Verizon had to go and make it a pain by locking the bootloader, but even that was able to be worked around thanks to the great folks at XDA. The S3 had the right combination of hardware I needed at the time it was released. SD Card storage, removable battery, screen size, etc.

Yeah, battery life is worse with CyanogenMod, by a little bit. JuiceDefender solved all that.

It sucks that users who don't root and flash their phones get stuck with crap like this though.

While the article is correct in noting the frustrating inaccuracy of the (previous) swype-y keyboard, I don't think Swype is native to the SGS3. I had to download Swype beta from the website to get actual Swype. In fact, they say there that Swype is not officially supported on the device.

And, for all you SGS3 users not using the beta, you need to get it. Soooooo much better than the stock trace-a-board.

While the article is correct in noting the frustrating inaccuracy of the (previous) swype-y keyboard, I don't think Swype is native to the SGS3. I had to download Swype beta from the website to get actual Swype. In fact, they say there that Swype is not officially supported on the device.

And, for all you SGS3 users not using the beta, you need to get it. Soooooo much better than the stock trace-a-board.

Verizon doesn't let users side load applications onto the Galaxy SIII, which is why I was never able to use SWYPE or even install the Amazon App Store. My understanding is that Samsung packaged up the SWYPE technology into its native keyboard application, and so the 4.1 update makes it even more SWYPE-like. I don't use it, however. I use a Jelly Bean keyboard app, which I was able to install through the Google Play store.

While the article is correct in noting the frustrating inaccuracy of the (previous) swype-y keyboard, I don't think Swype is native to the SGS3. I had to download Swype beta from the website to get actual Swype. In fact, they say there that Swype is not officially supported on the device.

And, for all you SGS3 users not using the beta, you need to get it. Soooooo much better than the stock trace-a-board.

Verizon doesn't let users side load applications onto the Galaxy SIII, which is why I was never able to use SWYPE or even install the Amazon App Store. My understanding is that Samsung packaged up the SWYPE technology into its native keyboard application, and so the 4.1 update makes it even more SWYPE-like. I don't use it, however. I use a Jelly Bean keyboard app, which I was able to install through the Google Play store.

Verizon SGSIII user here, sounds like all you need to do is go to System Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources - Allow installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store.

I have Swype/Swype Beta and the Amazon Appstore installed as well (didn't require root or anything)

Why do people buy non-Nexus Android devices? It shouldn't take this long to bring out the 4.1 update, which is already outdated.

i get my phone provided by work, so i get to choose between what verizon offers. the choice was basically an S3 or iphone5. since they already got me an ipad, i didn't want to limit my existence/knowledge to one camp and got an S3.

if i were to buy my own, then yeah, i'd probably get something that didn't come molested by a telco uncle.

While the article is correct in noting the frustrating inaccuracy of the (previous) swype-y keyboard, I don't think Swype is native to the SGS3. I had to download Swype beta from the website to get actual Swype. In fact, they say there that Swype is not officially supported on the device.

And, for all you SGS3 users not using the beta, you need to get it. Soooooo much better than the stock trace-a-board.

Verizon doesn't let users side load applications onto the Galaxy SIII, which is why I was never able to use SWYPE or even install the Amazon App Store. My understanding is that Samsung packaged up the SWYPE technology into its native keyboard application, and so the 4.1 update makes it even more SWYPE-like. I don't use it, however. I use a Jelly Bean keyboard app, which I was able to install through the Google Play store.

Verizon SGSIII user here, sounds like all you need to do is go to System Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources - Allow installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store.

I have Swype/Swype Beta and the Amazon Appstore installed as well (didn't require root or anything)

I had allowed unknown sources to be installed, but it still wouldn't work. It's puzzling, but just now I was able to get the Amazon App Store installed. Wonder if the update had anything to do with it.

I too was unable to install Swypebetathe via play store, but I went to Swype.com and installed from there when I first got my S3. however, since Friday's update to 4.1.1, Swype isn't working well at all! I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling but no luck. the mainproblemisthatitnolongerautospaces!! see what i mean?! unless i add the spaces manually, i get one big long word! I've written to Swype, but from other posts on their site, i take it they are not too responsive. I would love to hear if anyone has a remedy for this cuz it's making me crazy. I love Swype compared to the stock keyboard, especially for the number keypad.

another issue i have with JB, Google search no longer allows me to search by timeline. for instance,, i cannot search for remedies/posts regarding this issue for the time period "last 24 hours" ... it doesn't give me that option... or any options for that matter... I get whatever they choose to dig up. hate that. I have no use for Google now, or talking into my phone for directions, etc. if i wanted Siri, I'd be an isheep.

please, if anyone has a workaround for these 2 issues, please share. I am not rooted with this phone although i have done so with my previous Samsung (Fascinate), but only after my warranty expired anyways. would prefer not to go that route. could the fact that I'm using the same sdcard from my rooted Fascinate be confounding this device? that just popped into my head...

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.